The former Duke of Palma is accused along his wife Cristina, the sister of King Felipe VI, and 15 others of financial wrongdoing and tax fraud, especially through connections with the Noos Institute which is at the center of the trial.
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Cristina, who has denied knowledge of her husband’s activities, is the first Spanish royal to face criminal charges since the monarchy’s 1975 restoration.
They are also examining whether some of Noos’ money was transferred to a company co-owned by the princess and Urdangarin, Aizoon, and used to pay for family expenses.
Among the main accusations leveled against Urdangarin in the case is that he embezzled about 6 million euros (USD 6.6 million) in public contracts awarded to Noos for sports events from 2004 to 2007.
Prosecutors, however, recommended not charging the princess, saying she should face an administrative fine at most.
The Manos Limpias lawyer, Virginia Lopez Negrete, told the princess she would have asked her about Aizoon and for explanations about personal and business expenses.
Urdangarin was unable to explain in court Thursday how personal expenses such as safari trips and wine for him and his wife were billed to Aizoon’s credit card. If convicted she faces a jail term of up to eight years. He said he and other people used it and he passed the bills to his secretary at the company, which has been labeled a “front company” in court documents. In his first day of testimony on Friday, Urdangarin said he wasn’t aware of or couldn’t recall numerous issues he was questioned about.
The princess, a former Olympic sailor, who holds the official birth name: Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de Borbón y de Grecia, is accused of using the company to fund a lavish lifestyle of designer clothes and refurbishments on their Barcelona mansion, as well as dance lessons for the couple’s children, Juan, Pablo, Miguel and Irene.
King Felipe’s sister said that she had been completely unaware of the business operations at a company she owned jointly with her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, who is accused of a series of crimes including embezzlement of public funds and money laundering.
The expenses charged to Aizoon cited in court included 15,797 euros ($17,174) for a safari trip to Africa, 6,672 euros for a coaching course for Cristina and 1,357 euros for wine.
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The princess said that had her husband suggested participating in any kind of irregular business activity, she would never have agreed to take a position in the firm.
